About Ian S.

I majored in Mandarin Chinese back in college (many years ago...) and also studied Chinese at Tunghai University (ä¸æµ·å¤§å­¦). I have excellent pronunciation, and can help you also master Mandarin pronunciation, as well as grammar and sentence structure.

About Ian

A lifelong musician and songwriter, Ian S. has extensive experience teaching guitar and piano to students age 3 and up both as a private music instructor and as a staff music instructor at the Institute of Music for Children. With 28 years of experience on the guitar and 32 years on piano, Ian has studied and performed with several award-winning music artists, and has written, recorded, and produced over one hundred songs. He plays and teaches a variety of styles on both the guitar and the piano, from classical to jazz to rock. Ian is patient, friendly, and loves sharing the gift of music.

Ian was the guitarist in the Princeton University Jazz Ensemble for 3 seasons, was selected from a nationwide pool of musicians to perform at a special music event at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and was the recipient of the New Jersey Gove

rnor's Award in Arts Education for the category of Instrumental Music.

*** Lesson Details ***I am very laid back and friendly, and I want you or your child to be as comfortable as possible during our lessons. You or your child will develop confidence and musical intelligence. I will make your lessons fun, enjoyable, and effective. Boredom is not an option! Music is fun... let's keep it that way.

The teaching methods I use will be custom-tailored to your individual needs, personality and specific musical goals. If it's guitar or piano you want to learn, I want to get you playing exactly what you want to be playing as soon as possible. That's what you're here for, and that's what I'm here for. I will make it happen. If it's songwriting that you want to learn, I will help you access that place inside of you that is dying to express itself creatively, and will teach you techniques to harness that energy and translate it successfully into musical expression.

You can expect to learn all the basics of music theory, proper playing techniques, improvisation and spontaneous musical expression, and I will help you develop your "ear" so you can figure out songs you like just by listening to them. This is all about you and your goals, and I want you to achieve them in a fun and engaging way.

*** Specialties ***I specialize in pop, rock, classical, jazz, blues, folk, fingerstyle (guitar), etc. I also teach improvisation and songwriting, and try to develop the student's ear for figuring out songs they like on their own.

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Reviews

Sissi H. July 27, 2017·Guitar·In studio

Ian is the best , He give me a lot of confidence to start, and my English is not good he also very patient to understand what I said. In the beginning I don't have a guitar he give me a long list good for me and let me find out witch is I love, and lots of advice. Thank you Ian!

Zhongkai July 23, 2017·Guitar·In studio

Can't be better

Vera March 12, 2017·Piano·In home

Excellent lessons! Ian teaches fun songs that engage kids but also about technique & theory in a very casual and relaxed manner. Highly recommended!

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Ian S.

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Ian S.

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(30)

starting at

$35
/ 30-min

About Lella L.

I am both patient and enthusiastic as a teacher. I speak Mandarin Chinese as my native language, and can help my students progress to a high level. Once I have determined the student's level, I work with them to help them improve according to their goals.

About Lella

I studied Musicology and Piano Performance at the Shandong Normal University School of Music, where I graduated with my BA in 2005. I taught music and established a band at a property management institute while a student there, and established my own practice after I graduated. I came to the United States in 2013, where I have continued to play piano and have joined a local band. I am happy to continue sharing my love of music with my students here.

I began tutoring Mandarin in January 2015. As a native speaker, I can guide you to a very high level, and help you learn to speak with a proper Chinese accent.

Please note: Online classes are available for Mandarin Chinese only. Piano lessons are only available in person.

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Reviews

Mo March 6, 2017·Piano·In studio

5 stars' teacher

Kayli September 21, 2016·Piano·In studio

We just had our first lesson and we hit a few bumps but my daughter has never had music instruction before so we're giving it another go next week to see if things go more smoothly. 3 stars above says meets expectations, and though it didn't, I just hesitate to give someone 2 stars based on one lesson.
Here are some details from class:
My daughter (K) just turned 5 but is pretty mature for her age and has expressed an interest in learning the piano so we signed up for individual lessons with Lella. At the start of class I mentioned again (I had noted it at booking time as well) that K has had zero experience with music instruction. Immediately Lella sat with K on the piano bench and started explaining treble clef sign, bass clef sign and what hands they relate to. Lella also has a thick accent as I was trying to follow along with her explanations with a little difficulty. She even asked if K speaks Chinese and I said "no" so she said "you're Indian right?" My daughter would look around from time to time while Lella was explaining at which point Lella would just keep seeing "Pay attention sweetie!" Then she asked my daughter to write the numbers 1-5 in a book and when she said she didn't know how to write the number 2, Lella laughed and said "you know, but you forgot right" so I spoke up and explained "no she has not been taught to write her numbers yet, but she can read/recognize them" to which Lella seemed very surprised, so I felt the need to say, "she's still in preschool. But if you write them she'll be able to tell you what they are." So then Lella switched to counts, explaining about the values of different notes. She asked my daughter if she had questions, to which my daughter said "I think I understand what you're saying, if it's just a circle that means four, but if it's a circle with a line..." And before she could finish her thought Lella said "no that's not a line, it's a stem". At another point when Lella asked if she had any questions, my daughter slowly said "yes... what's velour?" And when Lella looked confused I had to step in and explain that Lella was saying "value", the amount of counts for a note. By the end of the half hour lesson, Lella had reached her explanation of middle C, which she described to my daughter saying "this is middle C because it's in the middle, there are two black keys, then on the left is C. Can you find another one?" When K didn't respond right away, she repeated herself, and again another time. So I said "she really has had no previous music experience, I think you need to even explain to her that those are called keys, like there are black keys, white keys..." And Lella just looked at me confused.
At the end of the lesson I agreed to buy the theory book so we can practice that at home, and Lella asked if I can sit in on the next lesson to help explain things to my daughter, because she "doesn't really focus". I agreed to sit in on the lesson, for my own benefit so I can help her with HW since I also don't have music experience. But I also mentioned to Lella that her accent is quite strong and I think my daughter was having trouble understanding her, and Lella seemed surprised by that comment.
I don't know... it says on Lella's profile that she has worked with young kids but I can't really see how the class was any different from how she would teach me, an adult with no prior music experience.
Oh! I forgot to mention something so basic - when we met Lella she thought I was someone else so I re-introduced myself and introduced my daughter. Then as we were saying goodbye at the end of class I realized Lella had never introduced herself to my daughter, so I asked "oh, what would you like K to call you, Ms. Li, or Lella? Ms. Lella?" She said Lella was fine so I turned to K and said "Tell Lella bye K." It just hit me, I mean that's something about creating a relationship with a young student. Speaking to them directly, making that connection. Lella was really smiley which gave the impression she was friendly but she never really made a connection with K who is the student, not me.

Marissa August 22, 2016·Classical Piano·In home

Lella quickly recognized what I needed to practice and brought me a great book that helped me get back to where I was very quickly.

Lella L.

Lella L.

About Mark G.

I spent one year living and studying Mandarin - Chinese in Beijing, China. I understand firsthand the difficulties that native English speakers face while learning this daunting language.

Through fun activities, important homework assignments, and the use of music, I help students overcome their fears and start speaking Mandarin from day one!

Message me for a sample lesson plan or to discuss group rates.

Zai Jian!

Mark

About Mark

Hey everybody! Hola and Ni Hao. My name is Mark and I'm a Language Tutor, Yoga Instructor & Organic Farmer with an International MBA and minors in both Spanish and Mandarin. With over 20 years of foreign language study, and 10 years teaching foreign languages to others, I know exactly what works and what doesn't when it comes to learning a new language.

I recently moved to Aurora, CO in order to be closer to my family since I have spent the past 12 years traveling the world.

I am a certified K-12 substitute teacher in the state of Colorado, and will be teaching a Spanish immersion class for 3 months starting in January. I have the flexibility to work with you around your schedule and will create a customized lesson plan that fits your needs and unique learning methods.

My main requirement of you as a student is to be committ

ed and dedicated to learning the language we are studying and to work on the homework assignments I provide.

Hope to talk to you soon!

Mark

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Reviews

Maresa G. January 7, 2018·Spanish·In studio

Mark is a very patient instructor. I learned a lot

Eva S. December 29, 2017·Spanish·In studio

Mark is a great teacher who personalizes each lesson!

Jill S. December 9, 2017·Mandarin·Online

My son was struggling in his second year of high school honors Mandarin. He had immediate improvement in his grade and confidence level once Mark began tutoring him. Mark is very reliable, flexible with scheduling, personable, and very prompt in responding to email. I highly recommend him.

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Mark G.

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Mark G.

Online

(25)

starting at

$30
/ 30-min

About Lawrence W.

Students can expect to set goals for each week and to be given assignments to practice in between lessons.

About Lawrence

I'm a native of Taiwan, speak English, Mandarin and French fluently, and am beginning to take Mandarin Chinese students in any of the four boroughs. I prepare each lesson and hold my students accountable for practicing before each lesson. I can teach any age, am flexible to the students needs, and can come to the students home.

...

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Lawrence W.

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Lawrence W.

Brooklyn, NY 11221

starting at

$45
/ 30-min

About Erica Q.

My goals for teaching Mandarin include being able to help you read and write Chinese characters, in addition to having smooth and basic conversations in Mandarin. We will start off every lesson with a dictation, a ten-minute quiz to test your ability to distinguish tones and pinyin. As complex as Mandarin is, expect to be able to read through simple Chinese articles and current events with solid comprehension. We will read through articles ranging from the Panda conservation in Chengdu, China, to the air pollution in Beijing, to the Chinese education system, all the while learning new sentence patterns. I hope this piques your interests in learning a new and exciting language!

About Erica

I was introduced to the violin at the early age of 5. I quickly found a deep passion for the violin and would play all day and night, much to my neighbors' dismay. I joined the NY Young Musicians' Ensemble, where I was given the opportunity to travel to Greece to play at numerous concert halls. I attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School as an instrumental major and took music theory/ history and ear training courses along with daily orchestra classes. At Hamilton College, I joined the orchestra and quartet ensemble, appropriately named, “Hamstrings”. I was asked to join the saxophone ensemble in 2015 and also took upon a Teacher Assistant position for a Jazz MOOC. In addition to my vast musical opportunities, I have also had many experiences working with children in education. After graduating from Hamilton College, I taught both 1 on

1 and group violin classes at Real Brave Music School in Queens, which allowed me to incorporate the Suzuki method into my own curriculum for beginner violinists. In November of 2016, I moved to Chongqing, China to work at Musicool Music & Art, where I was a Music Instructor, an English- Chinese Translator, and the Education Program Coordinator. I had the wonderful opportunity to develop comprehensive and innovative curricula to match the needs of multiple age groups, lead classes in both English and Mandarin Chinese, and assist other teachers in accurately translating class content. I was also responsible for overseeing program/curriculum development for the rest of the company, ensuring that each class had engaging and interactive elements. Please contact me for more information!

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Reviews

John Y. September 25, 2016·Violin·In studio

Very patient instructor. Can't wait to take another lesson.

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Erica Q.

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Erica Q.

Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

(1)

starting at

$18
/ 30-min

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About Christina H.

I am a native mandarin speaker, and write traditional character as well not simplify. A passionate and patient teacher, I love to teach mandarin and my hometown culture in the same. Hope we can enjoy and communicate through language learning,

About Christina

I started my music education as pianist when i was 5 in Taiwan , I was be training solid on theory and ear listening as well when i play piano ,then i start to learn violin and viola when I was selected to Music academic specialize school .I keep practicing both instrument intensively till college and decide i wanna do Viola as my major music career .I discover i love and enjoy the warm sound like mezzo or alto ,then i got steindhardt music talent scholarship to get master in NYU .

I like to share my experience with my students, in our lesson for beginner , we will learn to read music applying to your favorite pieces, we will learn to do warm up and basic skills. I will give you assignment for reading and writing the notes which can improve simple theory in the same time. .As long as you have theory base foundation, you will disc

over how fast to learn other instrument later on. For medium level friends, i will love to focus on basic skill , technique ,music ideas , ear training ,and dynamics on the sheet music , maybe some history story i will love to share with you. Meanwhile, performance skills are part of music as well , I will tell you hints and way to practice focus on every time we meet, but i will also left some space for you to develop your own music idea , because i think that help students confident to play and creativity .I will emphasize and being help on technique ,solve problem together. I hope my students will enjoy practicing and feel proud and fun of them selves.

Christina H.

Christina H.

About ali Y.

About ali

My name is Ali Y, I graduated from Boston University with a master degree in 2017. Before I graduate, I started to teach violin and Mandarin in Takelessons, as you can see in my reviews, I have a very high rating since I started, every student like to play violin with me because I always can see their smile in the lesson.

I’ve begun to study in BU with Professor Bayla Keyes since 2015, in these two years, I’ve learned a lot from her, not only my violin skill but also a lot of teaching methods.

I got my bachelor degree in Renmin University of China, which is one of the best university in China. I had 24 students before I came to the States, several of them won the first prize in different violin competition.

I’m very patient. And I know how to commute with students. Most of my student can learn very fast and be very happy at t

he same time. I hope my student to love music instead of just playing the music.

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Reviews

Catherine P. February 13, 2018·Violin·Online

great lesson!

Lily-Francis P. February 11, 2018·Violin·Online

Ali is very knowledgeable! Patient and kind. But also persistent!

Allison S. December 30, 2017·Violin·Online

Ali is a pleasant teacher and Allison has a great time with her for the first class.

ali Y.

ali Y.

About Xuan Zhou L.

I am a native Mandarin speaker who has the ability to make Mandarin fun and easy to learn. As an international Chinese student, I am well-experienced in the culture and the language.

About Xuan Zhou

Hello, my name is Billy,LiuXuanZhou, I am really good at using the skills of ear training especially on the aspect of the creating chords of classical music,in addition , in the study of mandarin, I do think and full of confidence to make every student to be success!

Xuan Zhou L.

Xuan Zhou L.

About Junling C.

My name is Junling Cui and I'm a native Chinese. For the last two decades I have moved seamlessly between East and West, and understand both China and the U.S. very well.

I worked for Chinese biggest national TV station as a reporter and producer for 5 years. After that, I was researcher and translator for Fortune magazine and Time magazine. My previous job was media relation manager at American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

I have very good interpersonal and communications skills in both English and Chinese.

About Junling

My name is Junling Cui and I'm a native Chinese. For the last two decades I have moved seamlessly between East and West, and understand both China and the U.S. very well.

I worked for Chinese biggest national TV station as a reporter and producer for 5 years. After that, I was researcher and translator for Fortune magazine and Time magazine. My previous job was media relation manager at American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

I have very good interpersonal and communications skills in both English and Chinese.